Be It Ever So Messy, There's No Place Like Home: The "Adventures" of a 50-Something Southern California Mom - who used to be interesting... and her teenage daughter.

January 2004

January 14, 2004

It was definitely a mistake to try to start Atkins while I was still jet lagged. While I was feeling relatively bouncy on Monday, just hours after we got back home, yesterday was spent in a slo-mo haze. Plus, I woke up today with a splitting headache; probably the combination of going cold turkey on both caffeine and carbs while my body is struggling to adjust to the Pacific time zone again.

I have an appointment with Robert to begin working out again today, so after dropping Megan off at school I set up shop at my home away from home: Starbucks, where I'm already on my second toffee nut latte and am trying to finish uploading our photos so that next week can be devoted to a normal work schedule.

Coming back to California was a welcome shock to my system. It truly is an amazing thing to wake up looking at Big Ben from your hotel window... facing the cold, gray damp of a January day in London... and come home that afternoon to the bright warmth of Los Angeles. The weather has been gorgeous: clear, sunny and in the mid-70's.

January 12, 2004

Yesterday's trip back on Virgin was mercifully uneventful. The flight was delayed for nearly two hours (as were other Virgin flights to the States yesterday; I didn't understand the reason they gave for it so did not remember what they said - of course, we are convinced that the flights took off late for security reasons, and that's OK with us).

January 10, 2004

After a nice (but too short) full day in London, it's time to go home.

Our biggest challenge this morning is trying to fit all the crap we've purchased on this trip into our already stuffed suitcases. A sweep through Harrod's yesterday morning hasn't helped.

We got our wakeup call about 20 minutes ago. I'm having an awful time rousing Megan -- so thought I'd give her a few more minutes to sleep by checking email and posting here one last time before we head back to Heathrow.

I have 70 pounds left in my wallet. The cab will cost around 50 -- that leaves 20 for tips and food & stuff we purchase at the airport. (I think a lot of the airport places take credit cards -- so we should be OK, coming back to the States with just a little pocket change of foreign moolah).

Ever since coming here, I wanted to make a little list of common items that have different names in our two countries. The classic example, of course, is "fag" for "cigarette." Conversely, Americans should be warned not to use the innocent word "fanny" to describe someone's derriere. In the UK, that word means something else and is not uttered in polite company.

Here are some more (most of them are food items):

We Say: EggplantThey Say: Aubergine

We Say: ZucchiniThey Say: Courgette

We Say: French FriesThey Say: Chips

We Say: ChipsThey Say: Crisps

We Say: CookiesThey Say: Biscuits

It goes the other way, too:

They Say: GateauWe Say: Layer Cake

They Say: PuddingWe Say: Dessert (although that could include the creamy sweet substance we think of as "pudding." The English use the term more broadly).

I learned a new one last night, while reading a magazine: Bespoke, which refers to items (usually clothing) which are custom tailored. I saw it used again this afternoon, on a billboard advertising a travel agency (I guess to let people know that they could have their vacations customized to their needs).

January 09, 2004

Sky Channel is running the Simpsons episode when the family visits London (with guest voices including Ian McKellen, JK Rowling, Judi Dench and PM Tony Blair). Weird to view it while we're right here. Homer and Marge take a ride on the London Eye, which we can see from our hotel window.